261
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
C. Egbuna, G. Dable-Tupas (eds.), Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42319-3_15
Chapter 15
Cereals and Grains as Functional Food
in Unani System of Medicine
Shaikh Ajij Ahmed Makbul, Nasreen Jahan, and Abid Ali Ansari
15.1 Introduction
Cereal-based food products have been the basis of human diet since ancient times
(Borneo and Leon 2011). Whole grains, refined cereals, and legumes are important
components of diet in many parts of the world. They are major source of energy,
proteins, and other nutrients (Tayyem et al. 2016; Dias-Martins et al. 2018). The
concept of functional food includes foods or food ingredients that exert a beneficial
effect on health and/or reduce the risk of chronic diseases beyond basic nutritional
functions. Increasing awareness of consumer health and interest in functional foods
to achieve a healthy lifestyle has resulted in the need for food products with versatile health-benefiting properties. Cereal and cereal based food products offer opportunities to include probiotics, prebiotics, and fibres in the human diet (Das et al.
2012). Dietary guidelines has it that the high nutrient density of breakfast cereals
(especially those that are whole grain or high in cereal fibre) makes them an important source of key nutrients in addition to providing an important source of vitamins
and minerals. Breakfast cereals are also potentially important source of antioxidants
and phytoestrogens and are one of the most important sources of whole grains
(Williams 2014).
A whole grain is a grain of any cereal and pseudo cereal that contains the endosperm, germ, and bran, in contrast to refine grains, which retain only the endosperm
(Aune et al. 2016). There are a lot of supportive evidence showing that the consumption of whole grains and whole-grain-based products are associated with the
reduction of the risk of developing many diseases such as cardiovascular diseases,
S. A. A. Makbul (*) · N. Jahan
Department of Ilmul Advia (Pharmacology), National Institute of Unani Medicine,
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
A. A. Ansari
Department of Kulliyat (Fundamentals of Unani Medicine), HMS Unani Medical College,
Tumkur, Karnataka, India
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
C. Egbuna, G. Dable-Tupas (eds.), Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42319-3_15
Chapter 15
Cereals and Grains as Functional Food
in Unani System of Medicine
Shaikh Ajij Ahmed Makbul, Nasreen Jahan, and Abid Ali Ansari
15.1 Introduction
Cereal-based food products have been the basis of human diet since ancient times
(Borneo and Leon 2011). Whole grains, refined cereals, and legumes are important
components of diet in many parts of the world. They are major source of energy,
proteins, and other nutrients (Tayyem et al. 2016; Dias-Martins et al. 2018). The
concept of functional food includes foods or food ingredients that exert a beneficial
effect on health and/or reduce the risk of chronic diseases beyond basic nutritional
functions. Increasing awareness of consumer health and interest in functional foods
to achieve a healthy lifestyle has resulted in the need for food products with versatile health-benefiting properties. Cereal and cereal based food products offer opportunities to include probiotics, prebiotics, and fibres in the human diet (Das et al.
2012). Dietary guidelines has it that the high nutrient density of breakfast cereals
(especially those that are whole grain or high in cereal fibre) makes them an important source of key nutrients in addition to providing an important source of vitamins
and minerals. Breakfast cereals are also potentially important source of antioxidants
and phytoestrogens and are one of the most important sources of whole grains
(Williams 2014).
A whole grain is a grain of any cereal and pseudo cereal that contains the endosperm, germ, and bran, in contrast to refine grains, which retain only the endosperm
(Aune et al. 2016). There are a lot of supportive evidence showing that the consumption of whole grains and whole-grain-based products are associated with the
reduction of the risk of developing many diseases such as cardiovascular diseases,
S. A. A. Makbul (*) · N. Jahan
Department of Ilmul Advia (Pharmacology), National Institute of Unani Medicine,
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
A. A. Ansari
Department of Kulliyat (Fundamentals of Unani Medicine), HMS Unani Medical College,
Tumkur, Karnataka, India